Friday night, the rabbi said the class on Hasidut would begin at 8 a.m.
He didn’t want to look like a dick and show up on time, so he strolled up in his best undertaker suit at 8:15 a.m. and the door was locked.
He banged on the door. It didn’t open.
He looked through the windows. The lights were on. He figured there were people inside studying Torah and they were ignoring him.
Shut out again!
Oh Lord, how long will you persecute Your servant?
So he walked 1.5 miles to another shul.
Then he spent the next weekend with his girlfriend.
He came back the next Shabbat and asked the rabbi, “Is there really class Shabbos morning at 8? Because I showed up two weeks ago and there was nothing. The door was locked. I knocked and nobody answered.”
“Yes,” said the rabbi, “There’s class. The combination on the lock is two and four simultaneously, then six.”
He had the combo! Now he could come learn Torah whenever he wanted.
He was so happy.
So he started setting his alarm every day for 5:57 a.m. Then a quick cold shower, brushed his teeth, drank his energy drink, and ran to shul with tefillin and herbal tea.
This morning, the clouds overhead were dark. He drew his black jacket around his thin shoulders. Looking up and towards downturn Los Angeles, he saw the sky was a vivid blue.
For months the sky had been pitch black at this time. Now he was seeing the light for the first time.
Daf Yomi beckoned.
